


What's your name Mate?

by EatingPhones_Cronch



Category: Black Sails
Genre: Alcohol, Coming Out, Confessions, Drunkenness, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:08:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27717244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EatingPhones_Cronch/pseuds/EatingPhones_Cronch
Summary: "I haven't seen you before," Gates said, taking in the bags under the younger man's eyes and his long hair, falling out of the low ponytail at his neck "Are you new around here?""I suppose you could say that. I was here a couple of months ago for...different reasons." He didn't seem like he wished to elaborate but Gates's questioning look said they wouldn't keep talking if he didn't get an answer and the ginger man seemed like he needed to be talking."I was a lieutenant in the Royal Navy," Said the man, indicating to the bartender to refill his tankard, "Somehow," the man continued, "I lost my position.""I don't suppose you'll tell me why?" responded Hal,"Not yet, buy me a drink first."(Alternatively: Hal Gates walks into a bar and stumbles out)
Relationships: Captain Flint | James McGraw & Hal Gates
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	What's your name Mate?

**Author's Note:**

> This idea has been living in my head for god knows how long and I had to get it out before it killed me

Hal Gates hadn't meant to spend too long in the bar that night. He hadn't meant to spend any time in the bar, really, but he heard a voice promise him 'just one drink'. He couldn't resist.

You'd have thought that after so long on Nassau, Gates would have learnt that 'just one drink' always turned into 'just one more'. (maybe he had learnt, and just decided to unlearn it whenever he saw fit.)

Hal Gates hadn't meant to spend any time in the bar that night, but there he was, on his third tankard of ale, sitting next to a stupidly drunk Ginger man and debating heatedly with an underweight Captain about something or another. The wiry Captain's speech was becoming progressively blurred, he didn't seem to be able to keep up with his argument any more and was squinting into his empty tankard, as if trying to muster up more alcohol through sheer will power. Gates patted the man on his bony back and turned to one of his crewmates "I think that's enough for him," He said, "Don't you?" 

Gates watched as the young Captain stumbled out of the bar, he turned to the Ginger man next to him, "Did you hear the shit that man was spilling?"  
"I did my best not to." The man was well-spoken, he enunciated each word clearly despite is obvious drunkness. It was quite impressive. 

"I haven't seen you before," Gates said, taking in the bags under the younger man's eyes and his long hair, falling out of the low ponytail at his neck "Are you new around here?"  
"I suppose you could say that. I was here a couple of months ago for...different reasons." He didn't seem like he wished to elaborate but Gates's questioning look said they wouldn't keep talking if he didn't get an answer and the ginger man seemed like he needed to be talking.  
"I was a lieutenant in the Royal Navy," Said the man, indicating to the bartender to refill his tankard, "Somehow," the man continued, "I lost my position."  
"I don't suppose you'll tell me why?" responded Hal,  
"Not yet, buy me a drink first."

The night went on. Hal found himself warming to the red-haired man, he was snarky and fiery and surprisingly knowledgeable, referencing subjects that Hal didn't have a clue about. As they spoke Hal was able to pick up some information about the man he was talking to. He was there with a woman, a woman with a husband. Hal tried to dig further into that but the man (whose name he still didn't know, by the way) didn't seem to want to speak any further into the subject.

The night went on. The men got drunker, the conversation got both deeper and lighter, the men chuckling into their drinks and telling one another things they wouldn't sober.  
Hal still didn't know his name or why he was there. He did, however, know how the man inadvertently killed his neighbour's dog.

The night went on. It was probably closer to morning now and both the men were surprised they were still able to form a coherent sentence.  
"What's your name, mate?" Asked Hal  
"James."  
"Got a second one?"  
"Flint," said the man, moving his mouth around the word as if it was in a language he hadn't learnt yet.  
"Nice name." Hal muttered, "How'd you chose it?"

The night ended. Hal and James sat on the steps outside the bar having been kicked out about an hour before. The sun was rising over the houses of Nassau, businesses opened their doors and early risers and homeless people and those who hadn't slept in their own beds that night began to enter the streets, not enough to form a crowd but enough to let the men know it was time to go home.  
"Why'd you get thrown out the Navy?" Hal asked. He wasn't expecting an answer.  
"I was assigned to a Lord. Thomas Hamilton." His voice broke on the name, "I was forced out of the Navy because they said I was fucking his wife."  
"And that's the woman you're with." James nodded, "Were you? Sleeping with his wife, I mean."  
"Yeah." After a few moments, James opened his mouth, as if to say something more, and then closed it again.  
"What were you going to say?" Hal questioned, looking pointedly at the other man.  
"Nothing, It wasn't important."  
"Not important my arse!" Hal waited for a few seconds before repeating his question. James looked, for a short while, as if he might deny it once again.  
"I was sleeping with his wife-" James seemed like he couldn't quite believe he was talking to someone he didn't know last week about such a subject, "But," He took a breath, "I was sleeping with him too."

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for any inconsistencies with the show. I wrote this at midnight in about half an hour and i dont think i had a single thought the entire time
> 
> Also, sorry for the end. Again, it was midnight and my brain had stopped working


End file.
